IRIsh MusIc, sonG AnD DAnce

An authentic show of
IRISH MUSIC, SONG AND DANCE
Life, love and lore of the Irish travellers Tour
www.danceperados.com
© Alen MacWeeney
© Alen MacWeeney
Management Danceperados of Ireland, 1 Castlebrook, Dundrum Dublin 16 Ireland
An authentic show of
Irish music, song and dance
The Irish travellers or “Pavees” - as they call themselves - are a nomadic
minority with a distinctive way of life. They have unique rituals, customs
and are highly superstitious. The thriving Irish folk and dance community of today would hardly have emerged that strongly in the sixties
and seventies, if some travellers families would not have held onto their
tradition. They demonstrated to the rest of the Irish and then the World
how unique Irish traditional music, song and dance are. Some of the
greatest Irish musicians, singers and dancers are from a travelling background. The Irish constitution granted in 2014 the travelling people
of Ireland a status as an ethnic minority and the Danceperados are
the first to mark this positive move with an artistic contribution.
The „Life, love and lore of the Irish travellers“ show is a tribute to them.
The storyline takes the audience through the changing life of the Irish
nomads over the past five decades. Due to radio, TV and internet, the
nomads lost their status as messengers. With the invention of plastic,
there was no need to repair broken pieces made of tin, copper and
brass. The introduction of heavy machinery wiped out the seasonal
work on farms. All this was the livelihood of the travelling community. The only thing a globalized society could not take from them is
their music and storytelling. Some of those traveller families who
stayed true to their roots are deservedly now legendary. However
they and some of their lesser known fellow travellers paid a high price.
There are similarities between North American natives and the
Irish travellers. Their nomadic way of life changed following their
forced settlement into reservations or halting sites. They lost their
traditional way of life and livelihood as an industrialized society didn’t
require their skills. Depression, alcoholism and crime were some of the
negative consequences. The settled community turned a blind eye on
them and their problems.
The Danceperados combine songs, dances, historic recordings of storytelling and photographs to show how the life of the travellers changed
over time. In particular the vivid multivision makes this more than just a
dance show or a concert. It is a cultural extravaganza.
eeney
Ⓟ + Ⓒ Alen MacW
The enthusiasm for Irish step dancing is firmly embedded in the
name of the show. Dancing, singing and playing music is part of
the Irish DNA and the Danceperados are no exception. They are
mad to dance.
An authentic show of
Irish music, song and dance
Huge credit goes to Alen MacWeeney. His photos taken at Dublin
halting sites in the sixties are a powerful statement. Alen is a renowned photographer in his seventies whose works are for instance
exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in New York or were published
in Time Magazine or GEO. He contributed also some recordings of historic traveller storytelling, lilting and singing to the show. The ensemble
leaves the audiences spellbound and engages them in the heretofore
unknown. One could even say that this contributes to a better understanding and it reduces prejudice between the travelling and settled
communities.
Ⓟ + Ⓒ Alen Ma
cWeene
y
When it comes to measuring the quality of a step dance show, many
focus on the dancers only. The Danceperados match it with the quality of their singers and musicians. They all enjoy highly successful solo
careers, have recorded many award winning albums and are inspirational for the up and coming generation of Irish musicians. There is for
instance Geraldine MacGowan who was pivotal as singer of OISIN in
the folk revival of the seventies, as was the renowned singer/songwriter
Ian Smith. Then there are the members of the World famous and Grammy shortlisted band ‘Beoga’, Niamh Dunne, Liam Bradley and Damian
McKee. They are the musicians who have the honor of playing live at
the finale of the World Championship in Irish step dancing for many
years. Irish dancers love the lift and lilt in their playing. The singer and
fiddle player Niamh Dunne hails from a highly respected family of Irish
travelling musicians. She brought to the show songs written by her legendary uncle Pecker Dunne. The sextet is propelled forward by the dynamic drumming of Niall Carey. Last but not least, the musical director
is Eimhin Liddy, who toured and recorded with some highly regarded
shows as the Celtic Legends.
eeney
Ⓟ + Ⓒ Alen MacW
P + C 2015. Magnetic Music Publishing. The use for advertising purposes of a Danceperados of Ireland show is granted.
Other kind of use needs to be approved by the publisher.
The shows choreographer is Michael Donnellan - a two time World champion. He was lead dancer with Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. He is regarded as one of the top ten Irish step dancers of his time. He embraced the
challenge of not only creating impressive dance items but to adapt them to the
storyline written by the artistic director Petr Pandula.
The Danceperados are in the fore front of a new movement striving to free
the Irish dancing from the grip of the big production companies. It is not
about playing safe and finding the lowest common denominator by going
for a Las Vegas type of show. The Danceperados are going back to the roots
and for an authentic and free spirited Irish feel.
Pecker Dunne
Gunning
Ⓟ + Ⓒ Maurice
The trademark of the collective is the absence of playback which is wide spread
in the other dance shows. When it is encrypted in your name that you are mad to
dance, you have to do it live! Playing safe and falling back on playback is against
the ethos of the Danceperados. Playback kills spontaneity and improvisation
which is the beauty of Irish traditional music and dance. The media reviewing the
Danceperados of Ireland reflect positively on the philosophy “keep it simple but
live”. Show effects, expensive light show and a massive line of dancers take away
the focus from what it is all about. It is about music and dance and a meaningful
storyline. Once a show is performed live, the fire and passion embedded in the
DNA of the dancers and musicians spread like wild fire. Twelve dancers stepping it
out live match a cast twice their size.
John Cash,
Cash the Pi
per Grand fa
Johnny and
ther of
Felix Doran.
Felix Doran
Ted Furey, father of
the Furey brothers
y Familiy
The Fure
Ⓟ + Ⓒ
cWeeney
Alen Ma